Math question (exponent variables)

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

Just want to make sure I’m doing this right, I’m sure they’re a few of you who can help…

Simplify:

20b^10

10b^20 My answer: 2
____
b^10

(i used ^ to show to the power of)

I know this is simple but I just want to make sure I’m doing it right…funny that i’m asking math questions on NYSPEED,but there is a lot of smart people on here

2

are you serious?

3

I don’t understand the use of underline, are you trying to write:

(20b^10)/(10b^20) ?

Is “b” an unkown variable? Or is it some mathmatical expression?

4

i’m sure 30% of the people on here have went through college math within 2 years ago so it should be fresh in their heads, better than spending a half hour looking for answers somewhere else

5

:picard: :sarcasm:

6

yeah, I guess I shoulda wrote that ^ b is just a variable.

7

I get:

(20b^10)/(10b^20) =

((1.024 x 10^13)(b^10))/((10 x 10^19)(b^20)) =

(1.02400 x 10-7)*(b^-10)

But I don’t have a calculator and just using the desktop.

Works out when replacing “b” with 5 in both the original equation and the solution. Checked with “b” = 3 as well.

8

yes the answer is 2

9

my answer would come from dividing 20 by 10…giving me 2.

and then subtracting 20 from 10 which would give me b^-10 but the answer has to have a positive exponent so I would do the inverse which would equal

2/b^10

10

u in high school?

11

Nah, but it’s review and I’ve been away from math for like 3 years

12

wait, are you doing 20b^10 as in (20b)^10 or 20*(b^10)?

13

oh i was gonna say

14

http://www.algebralab.org/lessons/lesson.aspx?file=Algebra_ExponentsRules.xml

Well, that is a negative exponent.

But your answer is correct.

I don’t know what race car driver dude is doing.

15

Thanks, Yeah I think he was reading way to far into it. Just had to simplify the problem, but thanks RedGoober!

16

Yeah. He’s showing off.

17

haha, associativity of multiplication…They’re the same thing.